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lindsey_kerrigan's review against another edition
4.0
Very cute book! I will continue to read anything Morgan Matson writes because her books hold such a special place in my heart. Although this was far from my favorite of hers I still think it was great, I loved the adventure of it, as someone who loves New York I love when it is romanticized in a story like this. I feel like Morgan Matson's books always dig a little bit deeper than the average YA rom-com and I think this book still achieves that. I think she does a very good job bringing the story lines full circle(that's one of the things I like most about her books) and she also does a great job of not making the characters too adults but also not too immature that they become annoying. One of the things that kind of disappointed me was that even though I've read all of Morgan Matson's books multiple times I didn't easily recognize any of the Easter eggs in the books aside from Amy Curry because she's obviously a title character. I kept looking for them but kept missing them, and I completely did not recognize the guy that Amy Curry was engaged to because it definitely was not Roger, how did that happen? was I supposed to know that happened? I was so lost. I loved Cary, he was adorable and just as nerdy and lovable as all of Matson's other love interests. The only part I was not ecstatic about was Teri's contribution. I understood it to a point bc it helps to have a "back in Stanwich" pov but I thought it got so out of hand at a point that it was kind of ridiculous, I really thought she was dreaming or something along those lines for a while. I felt like I was a bit of a stretch but I understood why it was done(mostly to keep the reader engaged and explain Teri's various boyfriends). Otherwise I did enjoy it immensely and thought it was absolutely worth the read. Every thing that Kat and Stevie did in NY and every person they met along the way led to them to learning more about themselves and getting closer and closer together, everything was done for a purpose and it was done so perfectly. <3
ellasbookishwonderland's review against another edition
4.0
4.5*
The plot was my favorite part of this book. I love when stories take place over a short amount of time, like how this one revolves around one single night, but so many things still have time to happen. The characters keep getting involved in things, meeting people they know, and everything is tied together in the most interesting of ways. The whole story is ridiculous in a fun way, making it feel more like a sitcom than a book, because some of the things that happen are So Strange but yet realistic enough to be fun rather than annoying. There's a pomeranian named Brad? A Top Gun themed dry cleaning shop? What is going on? The side plot about Teri I really didn't like, on the other hand; it was too weird and unrealistic and had nothing to do with anything else. It was too eventful with too little screen time, it felt rushed and weird and unrelated. If not for that, I would have given it five stars, but unfortunately it ended up dragging it down for me.
The characters were great. Kat and Stevie are two different people with different worries and issues (although considering the synopsis calls them polar opposites, they were more similar than I expected), but they're both very relatable. They're a bit unlikeable, but in a realistic way rather than an annoying way, I'd say. Kat feels like a bit more of a main character, probably because the first part of the book is from her POV, and she's great in that role. She's fun and breezy, and seems like she'd throw herself into anything without thinking first, which is exactly the time of character this type of plot needs to work out.
Take Me Home Tonight is a great coming of age story in a new, interesting package. Throughout this funny, slightly ridiculous story, the characters realize things about themselves and about their relationship, and return home from their single eventful night in New York as new people. I thought my expectations were going to be too high, considering [b:Since You've Been Gone|18189606|Since You've Been Gone|Morgan Matson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1377702326l/18189606._SY75_.jpg|25591533] is my all time favorite contemporary, but I was not disappointed! It has all my favorite aspects of [b:Since You've Been Gone|18189606|Since You've Been Gone|Morgan Matson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1377702326l/18189606._SY75_.jpg|25591533], even though the story for the most part is completely different, and has convinced me that I definitely need to read more [a:Morgan Matson|3351454|Morgan Matson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1281591801p2/3351454.jpg]!
The plot was my favorite part of this book. I love when stories take place over a short amount of time, like how this one revolves around one single night, but so many things still have time to happen. The characters keep getting involved in things, meeting people they know, and everything is tied together in the most interesting of ways. The whole story is ridiculous in a fun way, making it feel more like a sitcom than a book, because some of the things that happen are So Strange but yet realistic enough to be fun rather than annoying. There's a pomeranian named Brad? A Top Gun themed dry cleaning shop? What is going on? The side plot about Teri I really didn't like, on the other hand; it was too weird and unrealistic and had nothing to do with anything else. It was too eventful with too little screen time, it felt rushed and weird and unrelated. If not for that, I would have given it five stars, but unfortunately it ended up dragging it down for me.
The characters were great. Kat and Stevie are two different people with different worries and issues (although considering the synopsis calls them polar opposites, they were more similar than I expected), but they're both very relatable. They're a bit unlikeable, but in a realistic way rather than an annoying way, I'd say. Kat feels like a bit more of a main character, probably because the first part of the book is from her POV, and she's great in that role. She's fun and breezy, and seems like she'd throw herself into anything without thinking first, which is exactly the time of character this type of plot needs to work out.
Take Me Home Tonight is a great coming of age story in a new, interesting package. Throughout this funny, slightly ridiculous story, the characters realize things about themselves and about their relationship, and return home from their single eventful night in New York as new people. I thought my expectations were going to be too high, considering [b:Since You've Been Gone|18189606|Since You've Been Gone|Morgan Matson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1377702326l/18189606._SY75_.jpg|25591533] is my all time favorite contemporary, but I was not disappointed! It has all my favorite aspects of [b:Since You've Been Gone|18189606|Since You've Been Gone|Morgan Matson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1377702326l/18189606._SY75_.jpg|25591533], even though the story for the most part is completely different, and has convinced me that I definitely need to read more [a:Morgan Matson|3351454|Morgan Matson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1281591801p2/3351454.jpg]!
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
2.0
I'm sure this book has its own charm but it wasn't a book for me. Wasn't a story I got very invested in unfortunately
thenextgenlibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off meets Adventures in Babysitting with Take Me Home Tonight.
thetourterdpoetdepartment's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
really fun easy read. Didn't realise how many thearter references there would be which kinda thre me off. I really did like the writing style and plot twist. Fell like Terri's POV could be a book all within itself.
undervmountain's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
A few chapters into this story, I wasn't sure if I should just DNF it. What I thought was the sole main character, Kat, started off being an extremely controlling, insufferable character, and the only thing that kept me going was the glimmer of hope that her best her Stevie would lose her shit and tell her everything she thought of her at some point.
And oh boy, was I rewarded. Not only did Stevie do just that with a beautifully worded rant about just how shitty a person Kat is, we suddenly got a POV switch as the story started switching between Kat and Stevie's POV when they get separated. Having to find their own way around New York, they both end up having bizarre but wonderful adventures that I really enjoyed.
There's a third POV in this strangely long contemporary story, from Kat's friend Teri. Kat isn't available to babysit, so Teri steps in as a last minute emergency for a family. What follows is a truly bizarre, almost completely unconnected story to Kat and Stevie's, involving a man in a car trunk, kidnapping, and government secret agents. I have absolutely no clue as to why an editor didn't suggest this side plot should be scrapped.
I loved seeing Stevie and Kat grow over the course of the story, and by the end I was truly rooting for them to be friends again. Stevie's family turned out to be really cool people, and they both met so many interesting people along the way (and one very important dog). After Kat was so hell bent on getting in to a Conservatory for theatre, her decisions at the end really showed how much she's matured over the course of one night and made me happy for both of their futures.
And oh boy, was I rewarded. Not only did Stevie do just that with a beautifully worded rant about just how shitty a person Kat is, we suddenly got a POV switch as the story started switching between Kat and Stevie's POV when they get separated. Having to find their own way around New York, they both end up having bizarre but wonderful adventures that I really enjoyed.
There's a third POV in this strangely long contemporary story, from Kat's friend Teri. Kat isn't available to babysit, so Teri steps in as a last minute emergency for a family. What follows is a truly bizarre, almost completely unconnected story to Kat and Stevie's, involving a man in a car trunk, kidnapping, and government secret agents. I have absolutely no clue as to why an editor didn't suggest this side plot should be scrapped.
I loved seeing Stevie and Kat grow over the course of the story, and by the end I was truly rooting for them to be friends again. Stevie's family turned out to be really cool people, and they both met so many interesting people along the way (and one very important dog). After Kat was so hell bent on getting in to a Conservatory for theatre, her decisions at the end really showed how much she's matured over the course of one night and made me happy for both of their futures.
amyka's review against another edition
3.0
It was cute, but I really struggled with the main character. She had some epiphanies along the way but was still very self absorbed.
maddieg's review against another edition
4.0
I was honestly really looking forward to this book, but I was sadly let down. This was my least favorite Morgan Matson book I've read and there are a lot of reasons why. One, I felt like it started really slow and it was hard to get into. I found this odd as it was set over the course of a few hours, but I felt like it could've done better. Two, it was hard to keep the two girls' stories separate from each other. Kat and Stevie didn't have distinct voices and even though you could tell who was who by the start of each chapter, it would be difficult without it. Also, I felt like Teri's storyline was completely random and unnecessary to the entire plotline. However, there were some parts of the book I absolutely loved. I did enjoy the small romance with Kat and Cary and thought that they were adorable together. I also enjoyed Kat and Stevie's friendship and loved how they were able to come back together at the end of the story after being separated. Overall, it wasn't a fantastic book, but it also wasn't completely terrible.
Favorite Quote: "Maybe the regular life you take for granted becomes unspeakably precious once it's not yours anymore."
Favorite Quote: "Maybe the regular life you take for granted becomes unspeakably precious once it's not yours anymore."